Broken Reminiscence
by Ami Vurbo
Summary: AU. Xiao Lang has dreamed of green eyes night after night. Who is this woman who fills his dreams? Because she sure isn't his wife.
1. PRO

AN: Hey guys! I am back, alive, and writing something! Just a little something I started and now have all lined up! This might seem a little familiar at first, and yes it is supposed to be along those same lines, but it will change course. The prologue is super short, but I should have chapter one out soon! Hope you enjoy it!

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PROLOGUE

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Xiao Lang Li woke up from his nightmare drenched in sweat. Breathing hard in the dark room was a familiar scene to him. He closed his eyes, willing the scenes to replay through his mind. All he could make out were a pair of emerald green eyes.

"Xiao Lang, what's going on?" Came a sleepy voice to his left. He looked over to the woman lying next to him and sighed.

"Nothing Melin, I'm just going to get a drink of water," he replied tiredly.

"Did you have another dream?" she asked quietly as he got out of their small bed and made it creak. He nodded as he walked out of the room. "The same one again?" she yelled after him, scrambling to follow. Melin walked into the kitchen as Xiao Lang was closing the refrigerator door. She leaned against the marble counter tops, shivering slightly in pajamas- consisting of a tank top and boy-short underwear. Xiao Lang noticed her shiver and stopped gulping down his glass of water, walking over to her.

"Don't worry about it," he finally answered, wrapping his arms around her. She was always in such amazing shape. He would be a fat tub of lard from eating her fabulous cooking, but she always managed to convince him to go to the gym as well.

"Hun, you know I worry. What wife wouldn't if her husband woke up every night from the same nightmarish dream?" she fought.

"It's not every night…" he grumbled as he led them back to bed.

"Well," Melin drawled as she laid seductively on their bed. "Maybe I can help you dream an even better dream. Maybe even your fantasy…?" she whispered, pulling him down beside her. Xiao Lang kissed her lips as she began to take his pants off, but he paused as green eyes flashed through his mind. He faltered and looked at the clock.

"It's 3 in the morning Melin, I have to get up to go to work soon," she paused underneath him. "Maybe we can continue when we get home tonight?" Melin sighed, but agreed and laid back down spooning him.

Xiao Lang could tell she was disappointed, and he wondered if there was something wrong with him. He and Melin were high school sweethearts and had been married for almost six years and he knew he loved her, but…something was missing.

The dreams, the lack of sex- maybe he was just having a midlife crisis.


	2. ONE

Sorry I'm late! I went on a month long trip to Asia (and didn't bring my laptop)! It was absolutely amazing! My highlight was definitely the temples in Cambodia!

Anyway, here's the first chapter. They are short and sweet, but hopefully action packed! Enjoy!

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ONE

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Xiao Lang woke up the next morning to find Melin still sound asleep. Her job as a kindergarten school teacher let her sleep in a bit, school not starting until later in the afternoon. However, he had a 9-5 job, and had better get going.

The shower was his sanctuary. As he let the hot water pass over his body, his mind dwelled on the dream from the night before. He still couldn't remember it, but it seemed familiar.

Getting dressed in a suit and tie, he locked the door to their apartment and walked down the hallway. His bus commute to the downtown district was about 20 minutes. Melin and he had bought a car, their first together, a few years ago, but he let Melin drive it to work.

The bus dropped him off in front of a large business building made mostly of glass. Inside the double revolving doors was a scanner, which accepted his ID, and an elevator took him to the 13th floor.

"Good morning!" a familiar face said to him as he stepped inside the elevator.

"Morning Yamazaki, how's your wife?" Xiao Lang asked his good friend and co-worker.

"Third trimester is still going great! Did I tell you our new name ideas yet?" he asked excitedly as they exited.

"Personal talk after the meeting gentlemen," another voice sounded. They looked up to see their boss Mr. Takakowa ushering them inside the conference room.

""Yes sir!"" they both answered and followed him in.

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Xiao Lang worked for an insurance company and was part of the lead financial team for the company. Mostly, Xiao Lang worked in a cubical and looked at pie charts all day, but he had put in for a promotion recently. During the meeting this morning, he had presented the data he had been working on with clarity and authority, and answered all of his coworkers and team heads the same way. His boss looked on with pride and whispered something to the guy from HQ multiple times.

That seemed promising.

Originally, Xiao Lang planned on leaving work that afternoon in good spirits. The promotion would be announced tomorrow, and judging on the comments he was receiving, he felt like he had a pretty good chance. He and Yamazaki were just leaving the office to grab a few drinks when his boss called him in.

"I'll meet you at the bar on 5th," Yamazaki said smiling. "Good luck, you deserve it." Xiao Lang smirked.

"Thanks."

The boss' office was much larger than Xiao Lang's cubical. It was a corner office overlooking the city of Tokyo. Xiao Lang noted that it was sparse, and that even though his boss had been there longer than Xiao Lang had, so at least eight years, the office looked like he had just moved in. Very few pictures decorated the desk and everything was meticulously in place.

"You wanted to see me sir," Xiao Lang said as Mr. Takakowa motioned for him to sit down.

"Li, as you know a promotion has been offered upstairs. I know you had been pushing for it, and I personally think you are the man for the job, but HQ has decided to look externally." Xiao Lang felt his heart drop.

"Sir, I have been working at this company for years. I know the internal workings of this group like the back of my hand! Why look somewhere else?" he practically yelled. Mr. Takakowa looked down at him.

"I don't know son, something about a big shot from stateside, who knows. Keep up the good work and maybe it'll be your turn next year."

Xiao Lang left the office in a daze. Keep up the good work?! He had been working his ass off for the past four years trying for that promotion. Late nights, weekend work retreats, everything kept him away from Melin and any type of social life, all for nothing. Lost in depression he almost walked past the bar he was to meet Yamazaki in.

Tiredly, he sank into the stool next to his friend. Yamazaki always seemed in high spirits. Even though he worked at a cubical like Xiao Lang, he was always smiling and always friendly. He and his wife were about to have their second child, and Xiao Lang had never seen him happier. Xiao Lang had always wanted kids, but Melin was unable to bear children. It had been heart breaking when she had her first miscarriage last year. Xiao Lang just wanted something in his life to go right.

"So are congratulations in order?" Yamazaki asked, handing him a beer. Xiao Lang took it wordlessly and downed it in one go. Yamazaki took that as his answer.

"Not this go-around?" he asked as Xiao Lang ordered another.

"Apparently they're hiring externally," he all but sneered taking a drink and looking at the news screen. Everywhere he looked now- a- days had a story on the newest election for Prime Minister. The candidates were down to the current Prime Minister and the Emperor.

Usually, the Emperor of Japan was just a political figure, performing ceremonies and the like, but the current Emperor had a law degree and had served in Japan's army. He was strong willed, but violent and war-minded.

"I'm really sorry about that buddy," Yamazaki's voice said breaking Xiao Lang out of his thoughts. "But the good news is that you've been working there for so long, you'll be sure to get promoted next year." Xiao Lang took a long drink to that comment. There was no guarantee to that at all, and he felt that another year of his current life would drive him insane.

"Did you ever think this would be how our lives turned out?" he asked his friend. Yamazaki frowned at looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"When we were in college together, did you think we would still be 30 something and working in a cubical?" Yamazaki laughed, which didn't put Xiao Lang's depressed mind anymore at ease.

"I have a degree, a growing family and a well paying job, which in this economy is a lot to be thankful for. You have a degree, a beautiful wife and a well paying job. What more is there?"

Xiao Lang sighed again, his second beer gone. "My life is at a standstill. There's nothing… interesting about it anymore. Nothing gets me excited." Yamazaki looked at him quizzically. Syaoran looked back at the TV, the Kendo Championships were displayed. "Maybe I'll take up Kendo. I've always wanted to learn." Yamazaki's eyes went wide, and Xiao Lang interpreted it as shock. "What? You don't think I could do it?"

Yamazaki recovered and snorted. "Li, you were never good at sports. Ever." Xiao Lang thought back, he was always a nerdy kid growing up, getting straight A's but never good grades in PE.

"Well maybe Melin and I can do it together, find something we have in common again."

"What do you mean? You and Melin aren't in trouble are you? You two have been in love since you were 16! You're the perfect couple." Xiao Lang sighed, he seemed to be doing that a lot recently.

"Maybe I'm just having a mid life crisis." The two friends were silent until Yamazaki's phone buzzed.

"Well, I've got to get going before I drink too much. One word of advice," Xiao Lang looked up expectantly like whatever his friend was going to offer would fix everything. "Don't dwell in the past. Your future lies with Melin and this job. You'll get the promotion next year and by then you and Melin will be having sex like rabbits." He paused.

"I think you've had too much to drink bud," Xiao Lang said as they exited the bar.

"Wanna split a cab?" Yamazaki asked as his all but fell into the yellow and black car.

"No, I think I'll walk home tonight, you know, clear my head."

"Alright, see you tomorrow!"

Xiao Lang didn't walk home from 5th street very often. The crowd that hung out there wasn't usually the best, but his head wasn't quite the clearest that night either. It wasn't until he was a few blocks from the bar that he noticed he was being followed. He quickened his steps a bit, trying to remember where the nearest public place to call a cab was. There was a gas station just a few more blocks ahead but- someone stepped directly in front of him, blocking his path and stopping his movement. Soon he was surrounded by five other men.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here a suit from the business block. You're a long way from your normal routine aren't cha?" the man drawled, seeming deeply interested in something in his fingernails. "Why don't cha empty your wallet and gimme that nice watch you got there, and we'll even call a cab home for ya?" He said, coming closer. Xiao Lang swallowed but didn't give up his wallet immediately.

"I-I don't have any money on me. Spent it all on beer," he said, looking around nervously at the men who were also advancing slowly.

"Boys, looks like we've got a liar here. What do we do with liars?" Before anyone could answer the man took a swing at Xiao Lang hitting him straight across the face. Xiao Lang had never been sucker punched before, but the pain was strangely familiar.

And strong.

Xiao Lang sailed through the air and fell to the ground, hitting the back of his head along the way. A pair of emerald green eyes flashed in his mind and when he opened his eyes all he saw at first were stars. He vaguely heard the boss tell his boys to get his wallet but sensed the boot coming at his ribs immediately. Instincts kicked in, and he grabbed it.

"What the-?" the man yelled, but before he could blink Xiao Lang was sitting up, and elbowed the man's knee, crushing it backwards.

"Son of a bitch!" another man yelled. Again instinct kicked in. Xiao Lang rolled backwards onto one knee and grabbed the man's arm, which wielded a knife, and bent it at an awkward angle. The man howled and dropped the weapon, but Xiao Lang sensed someone from behind. Kicking the man who used to have the knife away he turned to the third man charging at him. Xiao Lang ducked a fist to his head and jumped over a kick meant to sweep his legs from him. Then, in a series of moves so fast that neither one of them could keep up- an elbow to the nose, a kidney shot and then a roundhouse kick-sent that attacker flying as well. The last two assailants, including the boss, came at him at the same time, but Xiao Lang easily took both of them down, until the boss pulled a gun at the last resort.

"Fuck man, I don't know who you are but just give me the wallet and I'll think about sparing your life." Xiao Lang looked at the gun and made a grab for it. One second later the gun was dismantled on the ground. The boss let out a string of curses, and the men who could walk followed him as he ran out of the alley way.

Xiao Lang looked down in complete shock at the men groaning on the ground around him. He looked at his hands, which were shaking now, but had done all of this damage.

What had he done? How had he done it? What was going on? He started to slowly back away and then took off in a dead sprint towards home.

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End file.
